How to Prune Lavender
Annual pruning keeps lavender compact, beautiful, and productive for years
Critical: Never Cut Into Bare Wood!
Like rosemary, lavender does NOT regrow from leafless woody stems. Always cut back to where there are still green leaves. Cutting into bare brown wood = dead branch.
Lavender Pruning Schedule
Main Annual Pruning
Cut back by 1/3 to 1/2 when new growth appears at the base. Shape into a neat mound. This is the most important pruning.
Deadheading
Remove spent flower stems by cutting just above the foliage. This tidies the plant and may encourage a second flush of blooms.
How to Prune Lavender
Wait for New Growth
In early spring, wait until you see new green shoots emerging at the base of stems. This tells you the plant is waking up and it's safe to prune.
Identify the Green Zone
Look at each stem and find where green, leafy growth begins. This is your cutting boundary - go below this and you kill the branch.
Cut Back by 1/3 to 1/2
Using hedge shears or pruners, cut the entire plant back into a rounded mound shape. Remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the current year's growth.
Remove Any Dead Wood
Cut out any completely dead, brown branches back to their base or to living wood. These won't recover.
Deadhead After Flowering
After blooms fade, cut off flower stems just above the foliage. This tidies the plant and may encourage a second flush in some varieties.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to prune lavender?
Prune lavender twice: in early spring as new growth appears (main shaping), and again after flowering to deadhead spent blooms. Never prune in fall - new growth can be damaged by cold.
Can I cut lavender back hard?
Only if there's still green growth on the stems! Lavender doesn't regrow from bare woody stems. You can cut back by 1/3 to 2/3 in spring, but always leave some green foliage on each branch.
My lavender is woody and leggy - can I save it?
If there's green growth remaining, yes! Cut back gradually over 2-3 years. If the plant is entirely woody with no green, it's best to replace it. Lavender lives 10-15 years with proper pruning.
How do I prevent lavender from getting woody?
Annual spring pruning is key! Cut back by 1/3 to 1/2 each spring. Regular pruning keeps plants compact and delays the inevitable woody center that develops with age.